Home Junction Offers Free Site Evaluations Amid Market Slowdowns Header

Home Junction Offers Free Site Evaluations Amid Market Slowdowns

To begin, to all of our valued customers and followers, the staff at Home Junction wishes you well and hope you and your family are safe during these difficult times. Home Junction has taken several steps for the protection and safety of our employees.

If any brokers, agents, lenders, or other real estate-related companies would like a review of their websites for ideas on content, marketing or design to alleviate some of the stress during this trying time, feel free to give us a call for a free site evaluation.

When business is slow, during holidays and situations such as the one we are currently in, it might be smart for a company to take that time to re-evaluate their strategies and see where they can make improvements. One thing we do know, when this crisis does end, everybody is going to be very busy with a surge in activity. So now might be a good time for a strategic review.

And, it’s always smart to consult with experts outside your firm to get an objective evaluation. Through this, you can see which opportunities you may be missing or find areas where you can enhance the services you provide your customers. Then, once things start to go back to normal, you will come out of this crisis feeling stronger and prepared to take on the next steps for your real estate business. Consider some of these real estate data strategies offered by Home Junction:

Automated Value Model (Home Value Estimator Tool)

 

One thing that homeowners are always interested in, no matter the circumstances, is the value of their homes. In fact, in the past 30 days, more than 8,000 people have gone to Google and typed in the phrase: “What is my home worth?” Thousands of people have typed in variations of that sentence as well.

Now, we know the major real estate portals offer home value estimates. But did you know that the same technology is available to local brokers and agents? These automated valuation models for local agents tap into many of the same sources, such as public records, and other historical pricing data as the big portals. The data is then organized and weighted to provide estimates of the value of any given property in a certain timeframe.

The advantage of using an AVM is that it provides a computer-generated estimate in seconds. The other benefit is that it creates an opportunity to offer a homeowner a more in-depth CMA and basically start a dialogue with a prospect. This is a very powerful tool and a very effective way to attract visitors to your website. It’s also a powerful tool to promote in email campaigns and on social media. And, when circumstances change, you can bet homeowners will be very curious to see the latest calculations on property values. You want to be the local broker that provides that valuation tool to them.

Mapping

 

Another strategy to review or ask for advice on involves geo-coding technology on your website. What sort of mapping features does your site provide? Do you have accurate boundary information for city and county limits or school districts? How about school attendance zones?

These zones are super-important to families. School attendance zones are complicated. A zone for an elementary school could be much different than a zone for a high school. And these zones can change due to changes in enrollment, etc. Providing current and accurate boundary information puts that broker at the top of the list for hyper-local knowledge. Home Junction has GIS (Geographic Information Systems) specialists on staff to guide you through this process.

 

Man Researching House Listings on Real Estate Website

MLS Data

 

This might also be a time to review your IDX and your data feed for MLS information. Are you satisfied with your MLS feed? Is it fast? Reliable? Accurate? Does it update frequently, for example, 12 times a day? As we mentioned above, is it integrated with mapping technology on your website? Finally, what other information do you provide along with that MLS listing that consumers want to know?

For example:

How about points of interest? As you know, today’s home buyer doesn’t just want a home, they want an appealing neighborhood as well. Even though amenities may not be able to be enjoyed to the fullest extent now, buyers want to know where the nearest grocery store and coffee shop are located. These amenities add value to a home.

Take parks for example. Studies show a property that is in close proximity to a park can be 20% higher in value than surrounding homes. Home buyers want to see these amenities. They could just be the catalyst that gets them to make an offer. Homeowners will also love to see you how you use their proximity to a park, golf course, or train station to promote their property.

Each MLS has their own set of rules and regulations. If you need assistance, contact the experts at Home Junction. We have extensive experience with different MLS services across the country and meeting their specific criteria.

Moving Forward, Together

 

This country has faced difficult challenges before. We will get through this current situation. 

Feel free to contact our expert staff with any questions or if you are interested in our free real estate website evaluations. Our team has many years experience in real estate technology and property data collection and processing. There’s no need to leave your home or office. We would be glad to offer a virtual review of your website and provide suggestions on how you can strengthen your position in your marketplace.

From Home Junction, stay safe, we are in this together.

Property Data Offers Key Component for Brokers in Digital Era Header

Property Data Offers Key Component for Brokers in Digital Era

Property data providers can help brokers and agents move into the 21st Century as best exemplified by these three quotes.

“Data is the sword of the 21st Century.”
“Statistics is the science of changing your mind under uncertainty.”
“You can have data without information. But you cannot have information without data.”

Data today is important. The thriving companies of the 21st Century – Google, Amazon, Facebook and others are all data intensive. So as a real estate professional, how are you implementing data in your business strategies?

Be THE Local Property Data Provider

 

Here’s the big picture. Consumers want this information. They are searching for:

  • Trends in home sales for each neighborhood
  • Historical charts on the movement of prices
  • School data
  • Boundaries (which are determined by GIS data) including school districts, school attendance zones, county and city boundaries, neighborhoods, subdivisions, etc.
  • Neighborhood demographics
  • Crime ratings
  • Cost of living data
  • Mapping data (again determined by GIS software)
  • Computer generated Home Value Estimates

Consumers know this data exists out there. They will eventually find it on the web. Home shoppers also prefer that this essential information is integrated with MLS home listings as well, so they can get all the relevant information they want on one page in one place.

The fantastic advantage today, is that there are Property Data Providers out there, such as Home Junction, who gather these billions of bits of information. They organize, sort it and then provide a software platform to feed that real estate market data to local brokers and agents. All a broker or agent has to do is add some lines of code to their website. On whatever page they want. The property data provider does the rest.

Data can be a Catalyst for Lead Generation

 

So, are you going to be the broker or agent who provides all the data we mentioned above that consumers are seeking? Because the brokers and agents who do, are going to be the ones who:

  • Start that relationship
  • Acquire the prospect’s contact information
  • Add more people to their email subscriber list
  • Generate that all-important phone call
  • Establish themselves as the agent with factual, in-depth local knowledge

When it comes to marketing, as the first quote says, data is the important tool in the 21st century. Use that property data for social media posts. In email blasts and even in direct mail campaigns. Tell people you provide it. Offer to give them detailed analysis of different properties with that data. Let them know they can come to your website to get quick home value estimates. AND that you will be glad to give them an in-depth CMA if they request one. (All they need to do is fill out that little contact form…and then that contact is now in the sales funnel).

Note: in 2018, customers of Home Junction recorded requests for more than 1.1 million home value estimates. Talk about a magnet to draw prospects to a website.

The premise is simple. People constantly ask this question, “What is my home worth?” In fact, according to Google, nearly 10,000 people a month type that search query into their internet browsers.

Don’t you want to be the broker or agent who provides that answer?

Offer Analysis as an Added Value

 

Here’s another quote that is also critical when it comes to data. “99 percent of all statistics only tell 49 percent of the story.” – Ron DeLegge II

There’s an opportunity here. A data opportunity. Not only is it crucial to be a property data provider, but what a great benefit an agent would be if they helped to interpret that data for people.

Tell buyers and sellers, what it means if all of a sudden home prices are shooting up in one particular neighborhood. Why is that? Maybe it’s because there is a new middle school under construction nearby. A new highway exit that is opening. Even a new Whole Foods under construction nearby can affect local prices.

Maybe prices are flat in another subdivision. Why is that? Are the HOA fees out of control? Is there an opportunity here for young buyers to get in on a good deal? Again, there’s a window open here to mix data with expert analysis. From a local agent. Not some faraway website.

We’ll end with this quote about data: “It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics.” Which Google or Amazon engineer said that? It wasn’t from either of those companies. The quote is from playwright George Bernard Shaw. Born in 1856. Even a century ago he saw the importance of data.

Data, and when it comes to home buyers and sellers, property data, provides clarity, perspective and in this era of fake news – honesty. This is what consumers in the 21st century want. Be the property data provider in your target area that offers it to them.

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How a Property API can be Used to Create Authority Symbols

A property data API is a quick way to create a persuasive marketing strategy for an agent to establish themselves as an authority in their market area. What do we mean by authority? In his landmark book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” author Dr. Robert Cialdini lists several techniques a person can use to effectively gain credibility with others.

Those techniques include:

  • Authority
  • Reciprocity
  • Social proof
  • Commitment
  • Liking
  • Scarcity

We talked about some of these techniques before. About how a property data API that supplies hyper-local housing statistics can enhance reciprocity (give something, such as market reports, to get something, such as a completed contact form). Or can be used for social proof (testimonials, referrals, likes and shares as result of providing this valuable data). We also mentioned how this real estate data can help an agent establish themselves as an “authority” in their local marketplace.

But in this article, we’ll discuss a related concept – how to add “authority symbols” to your website, social sites and other marketing materials. After all, we live in a visual age. People love to read posts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But we all know posts are much more effective if you add an image.

Speaking of images – Instagram which is incredibly popular, especially with Millennials, and Pinterest, which is super-popular with women, are totally image based. And those sites continue to attract millions of followers.

Taking that same image-based concept a step further, why not use images or symbols to convince a consumer that you have credibility as a real estate agent? Those symbols can be powerful. Rather than read a long block of text, with an image, a person immediately creates a perception in their mind that this agent knows the real estate business. Those images can help a consumer, almost subliminally, make a decision quicker, sometimes within seconds, on choosing you to help them buy that $700,000 home or list their $5 million mansion.

Now do you see the power of those symbols? Almost think of them as the stars and badges that generals wear on their uniforms to denote authority. Below are basic suggestions for symbols. Some are obvious. But they are certainly worth mentioning. Conduct a visual assessment of your website and marketing materials to see how well you incorporate the power of symbols.

Creating Authority in Real Estate

 

Professional Accreditations

Did you earn accreditation from a certain real estate training course? Be sure to make these prominent on your website. Don’t be modest. Consumers want to see these citation marks upfront. Don’t make it difficult for them to find this accreditation or hope they stumble across it randomly.

Professional Organizations

Perhaps you are a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. A local business networking group. Better Business Bureau. These symbols establish in the consumer’s mind that this is an agent who is involved in their community.

Awards

Same goes for any awards. Realtor of the Year. Local Real Estate Business of the Year. Member of the Top 30 Agents in the area. Whatever. Doesn’t even have to be real estate related. Maybe you received an award from the local Lions Club for your contribution to the community. Add it.

Sponsorships

Perhaps you or your firm support local events. As we all know, many organizations frequently ask for donations from local businesses. And many times, they can only offer little in return such as perhaps mention in a brochure or a banner at the event. But why not leverage that sponsorship on your website? Add something such as “Proud Sponsor of the XYZ Annual Walkathon.”

Again, this shows the consumer that this agent is someone who is active in the community. This is a person who supports their local community. And in turn, this is a person who probably has a deep network of people in their community. (Many of whom might be buyers and sellers).

High-Quality Content

Even if you don’t have many authority symbols to add to your website, an agent can certainly establish authority by adding in-depth, useful and relevant content.

Where a Property Data API Comes In

 

A Property Data API is basically snippets of code that an agent can add to their website on any page they want. That snippet of code then taps into the database of a national data aggregator (such as Home Junction) that has sourced and organized millions of bits of relevant property-related data.

The data includes: home sales, trends in home prices, school data, new construction, neighborhood demographics, cost of living indices, crime ratings, etc.

An agent can order a data feed not just on the county, city or zip code level, but all the way down to the neighborhood or subdivision level. This is the type of relevant information that home buyers and sellers want. So provide it on your pages. That will establish your authority as the agent with local knowledge in that market.

But let’s take the strategy a step further in regard to image-based symbols. For example, instead of rows of type showing recent home sales, use charts and graphs. Place a chart on each listing page showing trends in sales and prices. Place a chart on your homepage indicating that you feature this important local information on your pages. Place those charts on your social posts, enticing consumers to come back to your website for more detail.

Get creative. Using some simple graphics, find an image of a home and then add an arrow pointing up to show that home prices in XYZ neighborhood have just gone up X%. Add a source note at the bottom for credibility. That’s an authority symbol. An authority symbol that will quickly register in the minds of consumers that you possess this important information.

Those data images tell the consumer that this agent has the helpful, in-depth information they need to make an informed decision about buying or selling. Also offer to provide reports to consumers with those graphs and charts and other hyper-local information.

The point is, in this visual age, pay attention to the symbolic-value of everything you do. A property data API can instantly provide an agent with plenty of credible, factual opportunities to create images of them as the real estate authority in their area of focus.

Multiple Generations at Open House

Generational Housing Trends and their Impact on Real Estate

As time goes on, different generations have varying impacts on nearly every aspect of life. From fashion trends to home buying, keeping an eye on how generations make decisions can put you ahead of competition. For housing, millennial presence in the real estate market continues to become more prevalent. Read on to see how generational housing trends are shifting real estate and what you can do to more efficiently and effectively market to different groups.

Millennials vs. Baby Boomers

 

Generations are a tool: they give us the ability to look at Americans by their specific place in the life cycle, understand their view in relation to other individuals born at a similar time, and analyze how views of a certain generation evolve over time. The Federal Reserve Board defines millennials as those born between 1981 and 1996, making the oldest millennials 39 years old and the youngest millennials 24 years old in 2020. Baby boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964 following the post-World War II baby boom, making the oldest boomer 54 years old and the youngest 40 years old.

 

Millennial Couple with Real Estate Agent

Marketing to Home Buyers

 

Decision to Purchase a Home

When asked what the primary reasons are for purchasing a home, generational housing trends showed different overall goals. Millennials stated that they have an overwhelming desire to own a home of their own or to upgrade to a home that is larger than the one they already have. Baby boomers, on the other hand, state that they often want to purchase a home to own their own, are preparing for retirement, are looking for more space, or have a desire to be closer to their friends, family, and relatives. Both generations stated that the primary reasons for the timing of their home purchase are often because it was the right time and they were ready to buy a home or they did not have a choice and needed to purchase the home when they did. 

 

Home Search Process

Regardless of their generation, most people who are current home buyers will search online for properties first. More millennial real estate shoppers seem to be utilizing the internet to search for homes frequently. Baby boomers looking for housing frequently used the internet, however those who were using other forms to search for homes reported that they only occasionally use the internet. The longest search for home buyers falls into the baby boomer generation: on average it takes this group about twelve weeks to complete their online search while it usually takes other generations eight to ten weeks.

 

Effects of Internet Home Search on Buyers

Various actions are taken by different generations as a result of searching for housing. Millennials and baby boomers who search for a home on the internet often end up walking through a home they viewed online, seeing the exterior of the home and around the neighborhood, or select an agent to help them in the process. 

 

Real Estate Professionals 

Many people purchase their homes through agents. Buyers primarily want their agent’s help to find the right home to purchase, and then want additional help negotiating the terms of the sale and the price. Millennials searching for real estate also seem to find value in understanding the purchase process. The most popular way to select a real estate agent is through referrals, and then through self-evaluation, in which buyers can gauge an agent’s honesty and trustworthiness.

 

Baby Boomer Couple Buying New Home

Generational Housing Characteristics

 

Type of Home

When analyzing trends in generational housing, it is important to look at property attributes of prior living arrangements. For millennials, this is often a time when they will move from renting an apartment or house to owning a house. Baby boomers, on the other hand, have owned a previous home before and are looking to buy a new one.

Millennials and baby boomers both gravitate toward purchasing previously owned homes, though baby boomers are slightly more interested in purchasing new homes than millennials. Buyers who are interested in new homes are looking to avoid renovations and problems that lie within plumbing or electricity. In addition, millennials and baby boomers are both overwhelmingly interested in purchasing detached single-family homes, as opposed to apartments and condos. 

 

Location of Home

Millennial real estate seems to gravitate towards homes in a neighborhood or a subdivision in comparison to an urban area, small town, or rural area. Factors that are most influential for millennials when it comes to selecting a neighborhood include the quality of the neighborhood, the overall affordability of the neighborhood, the quality of the school district, and finally, its convenience to other points of interest such as their job, friends, and family.

Baby boomers housing seems to be slowly decreasing in suburbs and slowly increasing in both small towns and rural areas. Factors that contribute to baby boomers housing choices in terms of the neighborhood include the quality of the neighborhood, the overall affordability of the homes, its convenience to health facilities, and its convenience to their job, friends, and family.

As the real estate market continues to fluctuate through the future, don’t forget to pay attention to generational housing trends that have the power to disrupt the market. Look for trends in millennial real estate by paying attention to where they are buying a house and the type of house they are purchasing. Additionally, pay attention to baby boomer housing as they age and go through retirement, opening up space for the next generation to purchase houses. 

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Recruit Real Estate Agents with Lead Generation Data Tools

Every brokerage needs to recruit agents. The challenge is, so do other brokers. Therefore, a broker needs to set themselves apart from the pack.

Sure there are the standard ways – a nice office atmosphere, plenty of support and commission splits, training, etc. But here’s the thing. If you are going to attract younger agents – Millennials – a broker needs to offer more. And they definitely need to cover one important area – technology.

Of course, every agent will want the latest in high-tech gear – a laptop, smartphone with a great plan, tablet and of course, a knock ’em dead website. Throwing in a drone is not a bad idea either. But what about real estate market data? And how can you use that data to help them generate leads? Which after all, is the name of the real estate game. 

How to Recruit Real Estate Agents

 

Home Value Estimators

Might as well go to one of the most powerful lead generation tools right off the bat. Does your website offer a home value estimate tool like the big real estate portal that begins with the letter “Z?” Many experts will say that tool put that website on the map.

What’s great about being a broker today is that a home value estimator tool is also now available to brokerages on the local level. Large real estate data aggregators (such as Home Junction) have created their own AVM (Automated Valuation Model) software that a broker can instantly add to their website. These data aggregators also gather sales and other relevant data from similar sources just like that big real estate portal and are able to provide estimates for brokers in their local markets.

This is a BIG development for local real estate agents. For one, it puts them on a level playing field with the large mega-portals. Secondly, people prefer to do business with a local company. These consumers will realize that this local brokerage not only has the local market experience they need in an agent, but also now have the data tools to back it up.

It’s a powerful amenity for local brokers. In fact, in 2018, customers of Home Junction received more than 1 MILLION requests for home estimates. That home value estimator tool can also be a powerful magnet to attract agents. Because as we all know, when people continually come to a website to check out the latest estimates on homes, they place themselves in the sales funnel for future transactions.

Sure, initially many of the users will just be curious. But some, a homeowner for example, can become an instant prospect if they see their property value is now at an appealing level. This creates a window to ask for a more formal CMA. A great lead opportunity. An opportunity that will get the attention of agents you are trying to recruit. 

Same with home buyers. They might be interested in a particular neighborhood and are constantly monitoring home prices. When they see a home in that neighborhood come on the market with a reasonable price, they will be more likely to jump on that offering.

Hopefully, you will have that prospect signed up in your database for your newsletter so when they are ready to act, they know who to call.

 

Real Estate Market Data API

 Another way to recruit agents is with a real estate market data API. An API is basically software code embedded on your website that taps into a wealth of hyper-local and relevant data.

This tool can also create lead opportunities and opportunities for relevant and appealing social media posts. Show prospective agents how they can send market updates out on their social sites. Or how they can provide a complete package of Recent Home Sales, Charts on Trends in Home Prices, Neighborhood Demographics, etc. in exchange for a contact form.

 

Automated Real Estate Marketing

Let’s take the use of a real estate market data API one step further. When recruiting agents, a broker not only can show how all this relevant local property data will be available on their website, they can also show them a tool that will distribute this data automatically.

As we all know, keeping in touch with prospects is a chore. But an extremely important chore. In fact, only about 20% of agents do this on a consistent, regular basis that adheres to a strict schedule. But what if you told your recruiting prospects they can have their own personal, virtual “robot” that will do this for them?

With automated marketing programs such as Listing Leader, all an agent has to do is enter in the contact’s name and some details about the type of property they want. The program does the rest. The “robot” so to speak, will compile the latest real estate market data and place it into an appealing email format. That email will go out on a regular basis and also pull in the types of properties that prospects have expressed an interest in.

There’s more. The “robot” will also include links to mini-websites that will post other market data that is important to prospects. In fact, that robot will monitor prospects’ interest as well. So if the agent sees Prospect A is continually opening the email, perusing several listings and checking out the local market reports, they are very active in that sales funnel and need to be a top priority for that agent.

Not only does the robot send out important information, it also helps prioritize which contacts are “hot” and likely to make a decision. That’s a powerful tool. That’s a powerful magnet to recruit agents. In particular, that is powerful technology to attract the tech-minded Millennial agent who grew up with an iPhone attached to his or her ear.

Sure, the old techniques brokers use to recruit agents are still valid. Of course, there’s that personal touch and chemistry that will never go away. But this is 2020. Tech is a BIG part of the equation today.

Do you have the lead generation data tools to separate you from the others to recruit agents with the tech support they need to succeed?

Property Data API Can Help Agents Appeal to Retired Buyers

Property Data API Can Help Agents Appeal to Retired Buyers

A property data API will have a significant impact for agents when approaching the retired buyer. While everybody these days is talking about the Millennial home buyer, don’t forget those Baby Boomers. After all, for a while that was the largest demographic segment in the US.

And just like millennials, many Boomers are on the move. They are looking to downsize. Or relocate to smaller markets now that they don’t need to commute to big cities any more. Perhaps they want to move closer to their children, since today’s family is usually split by one child working in this city or state and their siblings located in another state or even on the other side of the country. And maybe these older folks just want a warmer climate.

Sure, agents know the type of home this buyer wants:

  • Smaller square footage
  • Single level homes without stairs
  • Easy to maintain properties
  • Communities with lawn maintenance services
  • Proximity to good hospitals
  • Assisted living and eventually nursing home facilities nearby

 

Those items are standard for older folks. But according to a recent article in Forbes, there’s more. Baby boomers want amenities that coincide with their lifestyle. That means parks for example. Hiking trails. Places to walk the dog and dog parks. Local gyms. Yoga studios. Health food stores. Even malls where they can walk during months with inclement weather. Another might be golf courses. Private and public courses. 

Seniors are also interested in walkability or short distances to grocery stores, coffee shops, fine restaurants, etc. They also want a sense of community they can participate in. Senior centers. Places where they can learn crafts such as painting or sculpture.

But the truly savvy agent won’t just tell their retired prospects about all the amenities surrounding a property. They will show them. There’s a simple way to do that.

Working with real estate data providers, an agent can add a few snippets of code (Property Data API) to their website that gives them full geo-spatial capabilities. They can integrate MLS listings with a map that displays various points of interest in any community. A picture may be worth a 1000 words. So is a map. Point out a property to prospects on a map on your website and then display on that same map:

 

  • Local golf courses
  • The restaurants with the early bird specials or happy hours
  • That great sushi restaurant
  • The local gym that caters to seniors
  • The park with the tennis courts or bocce courts
  • The community center
  • And more amenities

 

 

That visual will impress buyers. Big time.

There’s more. Be sure to also point out all the amenities that add value to their property, even if they won’t be using them. That could include:

  • Schools
  • Transportation Hubs
  • Major highways

 

Property Data API Provides Data Specifically for Market Segments 

 

With a feed from a Property Data API provided by a reputable aggregator, an agent can also display other data that is relevant to the retired home buyer. For example, Neighborhood Demographics. Not city or county demographics. But actual data for a specific neighborhood or subdivision.

Perhaps that neighborhood tends to have a large amount of people 50 and over. That’s a community where older people can easily find new friends with similar interests and feel like they fit in.

Also show ratings for crime statistics. Again, another concern of the elderly. Cost of living for people on a fixed income is a major issue as well. Use your Property Data API to show cost of living indices for such items as food, clothing etc. Maybe Neighborhood C is not a hot market compared to other neighborhoods, but has a much lower cost of living. That would make the area very appealing to retirees.

When you have all this data in your possession, you can also do something that would appeal to this generation more than earlier generations – print it out. Create a nice packet displaying all this information in one handy place that retired buyers can read and examine. Include charts showing trends in Home Sales and Home Prices. Those printed materials are an old school touch many Boomers will appreciate.

Again, rather than telling them, an agent is showing them that they are the agent with true local knowledge…and can tap into that data for the specific concerns of seniors. In this world of hype and fake news, an agent can also send their clients a strong signal that they are an agent Boomers can trust. 

Facts matter.

A property data API that feeds accurate and current hyper-local information to a website, can give an agent an edge in their market. Whether that agent is talking to those active Millennials with a phone glued to their ears, or those newly retired buyers who want information on properties that will make their lives easier.

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Fight High Bounce Rates with WordPress Real Estate Sites

WordPress real estate themes can provide new life to an old real estate website, especially when it comes to improving the rate people leave your website. We’re talking about bounce rates. If you look at Google Analytics for any website, there’s a column designated for bounce rates. Bounce rates are basically the percentage and number of people who enter a website and then leave – hence the term “bounce.” A high bounce rate, not good. A low bounce rate, excellent.

Here’s the bottom line – a broker or agent does not want to go through all that trouble creating a web site, providing content on a website and marketing that web site only to find people coming and pivoting away like they are on a trampoline.

Even if you believe you have a decent bounce rate on your website, you can always make improvements. Because the longer people stay on a website, the more likely they are going to engage in that website and head down the sales funnel to making a call, filling out a contact form or signing up for an email newsletter.

Talk to experts who develop real estate websites (such as Home Junction). Find out from them what is a decent bounce rate for a typical real estate company. This is critical. For example, if an agent is marketing a $800,000 property and then promotes that listing on social media or in advertisements, they certainly don’t want potential prospects coming to that page and then taking off. Something is probably not right.

And one quick solution is to consider using WordPress Real Estate Themes that are already built to maximize real estate websites. (At least from a reputable and experienced real estate web development company). Those pre-built real estate themes come with improvements already coded into the software. Already designed to address readability, usability, navigation, lead generation, etc.

All a broker or agent has to do is make the switch. If you are not currently using WordPress, consider making the switch. WordPress is currently the No. 1 Content Management System in the World. There are several reasons why and we’ll point those out below.

Back to improving bounce rates and engagement with your prospects. Below are some strategies to help.

 

Site Speed

As we all know, a slow website is a dead website. In today’s digital world, you have from 3-5 seconds to grab someone’s attention. If your website takes too long to load, people are going to bounce. WordPress developers know this. That’s why they’ve developed a content management platform that is built for speed. Choosing the right WordPress Real Estate Theme can help speed up that load times.

 

Mobile Responsiveness

Sit in any coffee house today and what are people doing? Surfing on their phones! Studies show that more and more people now cruise the web on their mobile devices: iPhones, Android smartphones and tablets. In fact, experts say now almost as much as 60% of web traffic takes place on mobile devices. That means your website must be “responsive” and able to adapt to all those different mobile devices with their different size screens and operating systems.

That’s a big job. Again, guess which company is fully aware of this? WordPress. Adding a WordPress Real Estate Theme can quickly make your website mobile ready. That means the website will adapt to different devices and will present your pages quickly, with easy to find navigation and search, readable fonts and correctly sized images.

 

Content

If you present visitors with a page filled with content that is relevant to their needs, they will tend to stay on that page and website. It’s that simple.

So, you want pages with big, high-quality photographs. Add videos. Those are always strong pulls for engagement. Make sure you have plenty of in-depth content. Not just listings, but related content such as real estate market data. Show information for recent home sales, price trends. school data, maps, maps with local points of interest such as restaurants and fitness facilities, neighborhood demographics, crime ratings, etc.

Again, the beauty of WordPress is that there are real estate plugins available that can immediately supply this data from a reputable data provider (such as Home Junction). The more information on a page, the more likely that visitor is to stay. And the more relevant that information to specifically what the visitor is searching for, the more likely they are to be engaged in the website.

If someone is searching for golf club communities, be sure to provide them with a page filled with information about golf communities in your area. Don’t promote golf communities and then send consumers to a catch-all page about a bunch of communities. Many of those visitors will be disappointed and bounce off that page like a golf ball hitting a cart path.

 

Updated Designs

One of the great things about the web and one of the negatives aspects about the web is that it changes constantly. With a brick and mortar storefront, it’s a big deal to redo the exterior, add new paint or change a sign. With the web, changes can be made quickly. And for that reason, change is constant. To keep up, it’s smart to refresh and upgrade the look and feel of your website. Again, this is where pre-designed WordPress Real Estate Themes can be super handy.

For example, notice how many websites now have a simple call to action on their homepage with a photo in the background? That design almost mimics Google’s home page. There’s a reason for that. Many web designers are mimicking Google’s home page. Why? Because they know that simple and minimalist design is effective. Who knows what the trends will be in 2020.

Here’s the point. To keep up with all these advancements in design and to keep your website fresh, consider those WordPress Real Estate Themes to give your website a makeover. Add some excitement. Change the format. Brighten up the colors. Spiff up your photo galleries.

One thing you probably don’t want to do is redesign an entire website from scratch. Because, by the time you are done, it might be 2021. But with WordPress Real Estate Themes you can make changes quickly.

Go and check out your bounce rates. Consider all the strategies above and pre-made WordPress Real Estate Themes to improve those rates and keep your prospects right where you want them – on your website.

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Get an Edge on Social Media Marketing with a Real Estate API

A recent study on how brokers and agents use technology revealed a big opening for the value of adding an information-filled real estate data API to a website. Here’s what the Real Estate In A Digital Age 2019 survey found:

  • 47% of Realtors surveyed said Social Media was their best source for generating high quality leads
  • 26% said they used social media to promote listings
  • 25% said social media helped them build or maintain relationships with existing clients
  • 21% had a social media account because they felt they were just expected to do so
  • 13% used social media to find new prospects
  • 5% reported they enjoyed using social media
  • 3% said they used the platforms to network with other agents

Real Estate Data API Provides Valuable Attention-Getting Content

 

The fact that brokers and agents are using social media more and more is of course, not surprising. But this data does present some interesting opportunities if you take a second to examine the results. And those opportunities can be enhanced by an agent simply adding a Real Estate Data API from a national data provider to their website.

Let’s start with the number of agents who said they use social media to find new prospects. Surprisingly, that number appears low, given the influence of social media today. There’s an opening there to be exploited. This is where a Real Estate Data API can be a great tool to add to an agent’s marketing toolbox.

But let’s be real. The competition for people’s attention on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest is intense. Everybody is pushing hard on those platforms. There are several reasons that drive that use. One of the major reasons is that those platforms are free. (Although, you can target better with paid advertisements).

However, that “free” entry ticket can be deceiving. To truly get the attention of people online, and go a giant step further to persuade them to give up their contact information, there is a price. It goes back to that old saying, “To get something, give something.”

Sure, posting listings is one way to provide valuable information to social media visitors. Some of them will be interested in that listing for the $650,000 home on the cul-de-sac with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a pool. But not all of them. So agents need more information to attract attention.

How about updated real estate data on the latest market conditions? Quite a few people will be interested in those kinds of posts. Not just buyers. Sellers too. By adding a Real Estate Data API from a national data provider, an agent now has a source for a vast array of hyper-local information they can place on their website. This is crucial, because an agent should want to leverage that valuable data into either:

  1. Driving consumers to their website
  2. Asking buyers to call or fill out a contact form
  3. Asking homeowners at some point to fill out a contact form for a more in-depth CMA
  4. Asking visitors at some point to subscribe to their email list
  5. Promoting their brand as the agent with true, detailed local knowledge

Home Value Estimate Tool Attracts Attention

 

Here are just a few random suggestions. This first one is a no-brainer: A Real Estate Data API that provides home value estimates is a super-popular tool.

Just about every homeowner is going to be curious about the estimated value of their property. Use that Home Estimator Tool as an incentive to subscribe to your email newsletter. Or provide a form requesting a more formal CMA since after all, you clearly state these are only computer-generated estimates and not as in-depth as a market analysis compiled personally by an agent. Or, just keep reinforcing the thought in people’s minds that your local website is the place to go when they want an update on the value of their home.

The Home Estimate Tool is super-valuable for enticing people to enter that sales funnel for listings. Most will just be curious at first. That’s fine. Even if they just try out the tool, they have already placed themselves in the top part of the sales funnel. There might be others who are close to perhaps listing their home for sale. They will be in the middle. They will probably return more frequently as they monitor trends.

Then there will be others who are prime prospects to become listing clients. They are at the bottom of the funnel and ready to make a decision. Checking out your home estimator tool just might be the catalyst that gets them to pick up the phone and call you.

A real estate data API can also provide other enticing information. For example, trends in Home Sales. Are more homes selling now than before? Same with charts on the direction of Home Prices. Are they flat right now? Perhaps that is a good statistic to show potential home buyers.

A home value estimator tool should also show where a home is positioned in their marketplace. How does one property rank relevant to:

  • Property size
  • Age of the home
  • Square footage
  • Price per square foot

 

Again, information that many homeowners would like to know. So would home buyers that are checking out a particular property or neighborhood.

And speaking of neighborhoods, a true, in-depth Real Estate Data API should definitely provide more housing detail than just by zip code or city. To be truly effective, that Real Estate Data API should drill down to the neighborhood and subdivision levels. Use that granular detail to micro-target home owners by neighborhood or community. You bet they will be interested in detailed information about their specific area. They will also be curious as to how that information compares to surrounding neighborhoods. And so will buyers.

As the Realtor.com research shows, social media is an important facet for broker and agent marketing today. Some actively use it. Others just have an account but don’t use it. And just because it is free, as we said, don’t take it lightly.

Equip yourself with a variety of strategies to optimize social media to generate leads. One of those strategies would definitely be the hyper-local market information you can provide with your own Real Estate Data API.

Why and How to Increase Your Real Estate Website Images Header

Why and How to Increase Your Real Estate Website Images

WordPress real estate plugins are the right tool when you need to create relevant website images that home buyers and sellers want to see. What’s the big deal about using a large number of images online? Everything.

Want people to click or like your social posts? Use an image. According to a report by Hubspot, the social behemoth Facebook reported that posts with images see 2.3x MORE ENGAGEMENT than posts without. Want people to share your posts? Twitter found that posts with images receive 150% MORE SHARES than posts without them. Want people to share your blogs? BuzzSumo reported that blogs with an image posted after every 100`words were more likely to be shared. Do online visitors like images? Just take a look at Instagram. A staggering 500 million people look at images on Instagram EVERY DAY.

WordPress Real Estate Plugins Increase Image Opportunities

 

Are you getting the picture? In the internet age, images are critical. They are just as important as written content and frankly, depending on the medium, more important. (Written content is still very important for search engines, so don’t abandon it).

So, how do you make your marketing efforts more image-oriented? After all, you can’t just run the same picture of the same house over and over and over. You need variety. You not only need variety, you need images that are relevant to want people want, images that grab their attention. Home buyers don’t really want to look at cats playing the piano; they want images that help them in their home search.

And remember, online, the average attention span lasts about three seconds. Below are suggestions for how to use WordPress real estate plugins to vary your images in the 21st century.

 

Volume and Presentation

When you place an image on one of your social posts, obviously you want to make sure it is striking. Many social sites such as Facebook and Twitter let you post multiple images for one post. But here’s the real test. What happens when a visitor clicks on those images and goes to your website? Are they rewarded with a dull, rather small image (or slide gallery) of the home? Or, are they wowed with a big, wide, beautiful slideshow displaying a bunch of images of the home from every angle and every room?

If your website doesn’t provide that WOW photo factor, you might consider switching to a WordPress Real Estate Theme. Many of these themes are already programmed by developers experienced with the real estate industry. They know what agents need. Their themes can really make your photos pop on a page. If you just want WordPress real estate plugins, there are also dozens of ready-made photo gallery plugins that display big beautiful images for you as well.

 

Charts

People who are subjected to a constant stream of photos all the time, are really going to stop and take notice when they see something different. How about the image of a Data Chart instead? If that chart shows trends for Home Sales in their neighborhood, that’s certainly hits home for owners and is very relevant to them. If a home shopper sees a chart for Pricing Trends in a neighborhood where they want to live, that will certainly appeal to them (and homeowners too). With data WordPress real estate plugins, you can easily add valuable charts to your website.

Real estate data providers have already aggregated this information on a national basis.  They have also reformatted that information so it can appear as a strong visual element on any page you like, in different formats, such as a chart. Obviously, this is super valuable information to both buyers and sellers. And it is valuable information they can absorb quickly. This after all, is the standard for most online content.

A WordPress real estate plugin data chart showing a drop in home prices or a rise in home sales can be all it takes to get those phones to ring. Or for a consumer to fill out a lead form. Or for them to click on your post and visit your website for more information. One simple chart can be very persuasive.

 

Maps

Everyone loves maps. Maps give people a quick overview of any landscape. How one location corresponds to other locations. You can show written addresses all day long, but when you display where a listing is located on a map, a consumer immediately gets a sense of the location. But why stop there? Map-based WordPress real estate plugins can integrate with MLS databases and provide strong visual displays of property locations.

It gets even more powerful. These geo-spatial plugins can also integrate that property location with points of interest. For example, show that $500,000 home with 4 bedrooms for sale on a map, but also show those three great schools nearby that are located within walking distance. Show that home on the map but also point out the interstate entrance ramp just a mile away. Display where that home is located on a map and highlight the three great golf clubs located within a five mile radius.

Now, an agent can certainly tell people about all these points of interest. But studies show, only 10% of that information may be remembered later. However, that same research discovered people retain 65% of what they see. If you display a visual image of that map with that listing surrounded by those country clubs, that is going to make a powerful, lasting impression in a buyers mind. Nearly SEVEN TIMES the impact.

Hopefully by now, you see what we are trying to say. Your prospects are looking for attention-getting imagery. Make some moves and use these WordPress real estate plugins to prepare a bunch of eye-catching and persuasive content for consumers in the 21st century.

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WordPress Real Estate Websites Can Make You Mobile-Ready

WordPress real estate websites are a strategy agents might want to consider after they see these numbers. The National Association of Realtors recently conducted a study called Real Estate in a Digital Age. What they found should cause many brokers and agents to reconsider how they market themselves. If your website is an old clunker from 10 years ago, you should definitely consider an upgrade.

If your website is a few years old, you might start thinking Tesla-like and upgrade to keep up with the innovators. Or be proactive to get ahead of the curve in terms of your competition. Because here’s what the research found:

  1. The typical buyer searched for properties online. Not a big insight. The big news is that the typical buyer now uses their smartphone to look at homes for sale.
  2. She uses that mobile device to check out websites for home listings and photos, including other relevant information concerning the purchase of a property. (We will come back to this in a moment).
  3. The typical buyer searched for homes and contacted an agent. On average they visited 10 homes over a 10-week period.
  4. These next numbers are very important: about 80% of Younger and Older Millennials used their smartphone to look for homes. In case you didn’t know, Millennials are now the LARGEST demographic in the US.
  5. Generation X is not far behind. About 78% of them used their mobile devices for their home search.
  6. Even the majority of Younger Boomers, at 68% used their smartphones.

Are you catching the pattern here?

WordPress Real Estate Websites Excel at Mobile

 

Your future customers have gone mobile, in a very BIG way.Now, when an agent turns on their laptop and checks out their website, they might think, “Looks fine to me.” However, as you can see by the numbers above, home buyers and sellers are not looking on their laptops for the most part. They are on their iPhones and smartphones (and tablets).

So, how does your website transition over to a mobile format? It could be a mess. Maybe you have an iPhone and your website looks okay there. But what about Android phones? What about tablets?

How Well Does Your Real Estate Website Adjust to Mobile?

 

Here are some items to check to see if your website is truly mobile-friendly:

  1. Responsive – this basically means that your mobile site responds (adjusts) to different types of mobile devices correctly. As we said, a page on one smartphone might not appear readable on a tablet.
  2. Text – how well does your text adjust? Is the type small and unreadable on a 3.5-inch by 6 inch screen? Are you using a font that is simple and easy to read?
  3. Menus – can people easily find what they are looking for?
  4. Search – is the search button very prevalent and not hidden in a corner like on a desktop format? Again, that button needs to be accessible so people can quickly search for what they want.
  5. Calls to Actions and Forms – are forms easy to fill out on a small device? Is there a button for a form so the user has the option to click on it if they want, as opposed to just shoving the form in front of them on the screen (people generally don’t like this or pop-ups).
  6. Images – are they easy to view? Are they easy to expand? After all, home buyers love to look at home pictures.
  7. Speed– even if your website formats correctly, does it take a long time to do so? (Google has found this is an issue with many mobile websites. Remember, you only have a few seconds, like 3, to capture someone’s attention or they are going to move on to another website).

There is a handy tool developed by Google to see if your website is mobile-friendly – try the tool here.

WordPress Real Estate Websites Make it Easy

 

Google constantly sends out a message that the world is going mobile. They work with large advertisers to help them transform their websites to a mobile format so they can get the same conversion as they were getting on their desktop sites. But for the average broker and agent, they have to find a way to do it themselves.

Fortunately, there is an easy solution. WordPress Real Estate Websites. As we mentioned before, WordPress is the No. 1 content management system in the world. Many of the top websites, especially news organizations, use the WordPress format because it is so user-friendly. WordPress has seen the writing on the wall. They worked very hard to make sure their platform is responsive and mobile-friendly. That alone is a solid reason why you might consider WordPress Real Estate Websites.

But there’s more. Because Google knows the world is going mobile, they have created a whole new set of algorithms that rank keyword searches specifically for mobile websites. In other words, your website might rank well on your laptop when you conduct a search for valuable keyword searches for the neighborhoods you are farming.

Good for you. But the site might not rank the same on mobile devices. And in that case, you could be missing out on a large number of potential customers (see those stats above again). WordPress developers know this. That’s why they have created a platform that is considered to be super search engine friendly.

WordPress Constantly Updates

 

Here’s another important factor to consider for WordPress Real Estate Websites. WordPress continually makes upgrades to their platform. Those upgrades are made to keep up with the times and apply to a variety of new issues ranging from new search requirements from Google and Bing to security patches. How well is your site upgraded to meet those challenges? How often?

And one final thought about a possible switch to WordPress. Don’t fret. The transition is not that difficult. There are WordPress real estate website developers (such as Home Junction) that have ready-made themes so a new website can easily be created in a short time frame. Those templates are off the shelf and ready to go. They can be customized in terms of colors, logos and content. There are also ready-made real estate plugins that can instantly add maps, school data, home price charts, recent property sales data, etc.

Working with an experienced developer with existing real estate themes and plugins is certainly better than going through the process of programming an entirely new website from scratch (which can sometimes be as excruciating and time-consuming as building a new home).

The reality of communicating with home buying and selling clients in the 21st century should be very obvious. Just walk into any coffee shop, look at people taking a break outside, or watch people in their offices – they are all interacting with their mobile devices. Think hard about making your website perform like a superstar electric car this year.

Contact us to learn more about the mobile benefits of WordPress real estate websites.

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Using Home Value Estimator Plugins for Seller Lead Generation

Home value estimator plugins can be a valuable tool when it comes to these two dreaded words, “Low inventory.” Because that’s what many experts are predicting for the 2020 housing market.

“Real estate fundamental remains entangled in a lattice of continuing demand, tight supply and disciplined financial underwriting,” said George Ratiu, a senior economist with Realtor.com, “Accordingly, 2020 will prove to be the most challenging year for buyers, not because of what they can afford, but rather what they can find.”

CNBC even went so far as to say this could be the lowest inventory in the past 38 years for most buyers. For agents, that’s certainly frustrating. For one, mortgage rates are still at historic lows. The experts predict they will stay within the very attractive 4% range. That’s an enormously positive factor for buyers. Basically, money is cheap.

The other frustrating factor is that all of a sudden, the largest demographic group in the country – Millennials, is now tired of paying rent and want to purchase a home. A starter home. Great. Realtors now have a huge base of buyers with access to super low interest rates.

There’s one thing missing. Properties to sell to them. As we all know, and experts are reporting, houses in the low to mid range are very scarce. But they are out there. And at some point an agent wants to position themselves as the one to call when homeowners in those homes are ready to sell. Or, can be persuaded now is the right time to sell.

Home Value Estimator Plugins are Like a Magnet

 

This is where a property valuation tool can be a powerful asset for brokers and agents. Here’s one big reason: In a market where a certain segment of homes is in high demand (or frankly an appealing neighborhood that is high demand regardless of the price ranges), homeowners are going to constantly want to know the answer to this question.

“What is my home worth today?”

And if you have the information, they will come to you for the answers. It’s that simple. What is even better is that local agents can compete with the big real estate portals now when it comes to home estimates. Maybe most agents haven’t noticed this. But this is a MAJOR development that levels the playing field for local agents. They now have the SAME RESOURCES as the large mega-real estate websites and now, even banks that have gotten into the home estimate game.

They use this tool for one big reason – it works. That mega portal that begins with the last letter of the alphabet used this tool to virtually put themselves on the map. And now they dominate that map, on a national scale. But when an agent adds a home value estimator plugin on their website, they can compete and even dominate their local marketplace.

Because they have one enormous advantage. They are local. They know that marketplace. They live in that marketplace. They personally interact with people in that marketplace. But like any tool, you need to use it to make it effective. It’s not going to do the work for you. Promote the fact that you now have a home value estimator plugin on your website.

Promote Hyper-Local Data

 

Go micro. Promote that fact that you offer a home value estimator plugin for “$$$ Neighborhood.” Use this tool to follow price trends in “$$$ Neighborhood.” For example, write something such as “According to my home value estimator plugin, I see the latest calculations for home values on your street have risen by X% in the past six months. Click here to see the latest estimates of what your home is worth.”

Naturally, you want to include a caveat that these are only machine-generated estimates based on data from a variety of sources. You also want to present an opportunity to provide a more detailed CMA. Emphasize the fact that you are familiar with their neighborhood. You know the type of properties that are hot.

Or the features in high demand, e.g. waterfront property or homes located close to the train station. You know the schools, the neighborhood, the parks, the best restaurants. Create a specific landing page offering this home value estimator plugin for a specific neighborhood and run promotions, such as Google pay per click ads, directing homeowners to that page. (Include other relevant real estate market data as well).

Also add a link to your home value estimator plugin on other pages. Listing pages. Market data pages. Blog pages, etc. Ask people for their email address to use this tool. Or after they get results, ask for the email address and offer to provide them market updates on a regular basis or that CMA.

Sure, there is some apprehension within the real estate industry about home value estimates. But here’s the reality – consumers love them.

Home Junction Property Value Tool Creates Millions of Searches

 

In 2018, customers of Home Junction who provided this home value estimator plugin generated more than 1.1 million searches. More than a million. That’s quite a bit of interactivity between homeowners and agents. Activity that generates leads. Builds up email subscriber lists. Promotes brand awareness. Starts a conversation. Gives that agent top of mind awareness with potential sellers. Creates the perception that this agent has all the latest real estate tools on their website and access to solid hyper-local market data.

When a certain segment of the market is hot, buyers are constantly checking for the latest listings to pop up on the MLS. Conversely, homeowners are constantly checking these home value estimator plugins to see the latest calculation on “What is my home worth?” Also, agents can use this tool to constantly check on movement in prices in the neighborhoods they are farming. In addition, an agent can use this tool to contact past clients and let them know the latest estimates on the value of their property.

In essence, providing this information helps move people toward making decisions. And it does it for you automatically. When an agent provides (and promotes this tool) on their website, prospects come to them. Those leads can come from people that agents perhaps already met somewhere and have indicated they may be interested in selling their home. Many of them will use that tool (and keep that agent on their radar screen).

Or those leads can come from left field, out of nowhere. From a prospect who perhaps saw an ad promoting the tool, or a post on social media or even an inquiry on a search engine and decided to check out a local agent’s website for an estimate…instead of that mega-portal thousands of miles away.

Providing these estimates can just be the catalyst that move sellers to make a decision (to at least contact you for an in-depth analysis). When you have a situation when inventory is tight, the smart agent will use every tool at their disposal, such as a home value estimator plugin, to uncover those scarce listings in their target neighborhoods.

Real Estate Sales by Month Chart

Real Estate Seasonality: How Seasons Affect the Market

It’s well known that the housing market is constantly fluctuating throughout the months and years, but knowing why this happens can be confusing. Whether you’re interested in the best month to sell a house or, equally as important, the worst month to sell a house, it is crucial to understand the forces that cause the difference. Believe it or not, the seasons play a big role in the housing market and we have all of the information on how this phenomenon works. Read below to learn more about real estate seasonality and how to properly navigate the housing market throughout the year.

Know Your Local Real Estate Market

 

Seasonality in the housing market can either help you or hurt you, depending on what moves you make at which time. To be on the winning side of this seasonal trend, you must know your local real estate market – the best months to sell a house and the worst months to sell a house may vary depending on the area you service. The best option is to research and study real estate data that is easily available to you online. By learning the unique characteristics of your area, you can better service your clients by understanding how seasonality plays a role in your town.

The most basic piece of information that you need to understand is that seasonality varies from one location to the next and each market has its own nuance. For example, many hot-weather destinations like Florida and Arizona experience a snowbird effect during the winter. Because the weather in these locations tends to be warmer than most during the winter season, you see an influx of people from colder regions moving there to either relocate or buy a second home.

On the other hand, cold-climate places like Colorado face the opposite effect. Seasonality affects their housing market negatively by slowing down the rate of home sales. No matter which region you service, make sure to have a firm grasp of your individual housing market to ensure your clients are happy.

 

Home During Worst Month to Sell a House

Key Factors That Affect Seasonality in the Housing Market

As mentioned above, one of the most turbulent changes that affects the seasonality of the real estate market is weather. Although it may sound like it, seasonality isn’t exclusive to weather patterns. In fact, there are a variety of nationwide factors that play a part in influencing the supply and demand of any given real estate market.

The School Year

One significant subset of buyers and sellers is families with children. Typically, parents don’t move their family across the country in the middle of the school year. They wait until it’s over because they have more free time and their kids can start their new school year right on schedule. This seasonal condition impacts when families will most likely be looking to buy or sell, and can make for some of the best and worst months to sell a house.

In fact, 91% of home buyers with children consider school boundaries important to their home search. On top of that, 73% of home buyers, with or without children, say school boundaries are a large factor when it comes to home buying. While some families may be shopping for homes in great districts for their children, others may be trying to shop away from school attendance zones to avoid higher taxes and younger demographics.

To see if your particular area will be affected by this type of seasonality, look into the schools, school attendance zones, and school districts that may impact sales, along with the demographics of current residents. Be aware that school data can frequently change, so it is important to stay up-to-date on any potential shifts in the market.

The Holidays

From inclement weather conditions and family obligations to hectic holiday errands, very few people want to buy or sell homes during the holiday season. This explains why the period between November and January slows down when it comes to supply and demand of the housing market. While a simple reason for real estate seasonality, it’s certainly an understandable one!

Housing Market Seasonality when Buying

 

After considering weather and the other factors that affect the housing market, it can be argued that the busiest time of the year is during the months of May, June, July, and August. Because more people are buying houses during the summer than in winter, buyers face limited numbers of available houses, raised prices, and more competition across the board. In more plain terms, summer is a horrible season to buy in, while winter is a fabulous time as there is less demand. Less demand means you not only have a better chance at negotiating a good deal, but you also don’t have to worry about stressful bidding wars and excessive competition with other buyers.

 

Home During Best Month to Sell a House

Housing Market Seasonality when Selling

 

In an ideal world, housing market seasonality is a full-proof trend that’s always in your favor as long as you buy during the best time in winter and sell during the best time in summer). Unfortunately, the real world scenario isn’t usually as simple as this. When your client is selling, they’re most likely buying as well. While you can generally figure out the best month to sell a house – between the months of May and August – you also need to be aware of your client’s next steps in buying a home.

If your client doesn’t immediately need the money from selling their home to go into the purchase of their next, then buying in the winter, setting up a short-term living arrangement – whether that be leasing, temporarily moving in with others or something else – and then selling in the spring is a smart solution to maximize the trade between what you’re selling and what you’re buying.

Whether you’re researching the best month to sell a house or the worst month to sell a house, seasonality is a crucial factor to consider. Know your market, understand the elements that drive the seasonality phenomenon, and for even more information, consult real estate data to further back your research. The fluctuation that comes with the seasons is extremely advantageous and full of potential gain, you just need the information to navigate its waves like a pro. 

To get a better feel for the seasonality of the housing market and what the year ahead holds, make sure to read through our 2020 housing market predictions to get all the insights you will need to make the most profitable buying and selling decisions.